1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to structures for electrically connecting an integrated circuit to external circuitry. More particularly, the present invention relates to interposer structures having formed thereon a plurality of conductive pillars or recesses that are adapted to make electrical contact with the leads of an integrated circuit package.
2. The Relevant Technology
Frequently, after an integrated circuit is manufactured, a testing process is conducted on the integrated circuit by subjecting it to a preselected set of input conditions in order to measure its response or other parameters. Such testing is often conducted on a chip package that includes an integrated circuit. As used herein, the terms "integrated circuit package" and "chip package" refer to an assembly that includes an integrated circuit or another semiconductor structure in combination with external and additional structure. The term "semiconductor structure" extends to any device or assembly that includes circuitry defined in a semiconductive material, and further extends to a chip package that includes semiconductive material. The external and additional structure of a package assembly may be used, for example, for mounting the semiconductor structure to a printed circuit board or other external circuitry, for establishing electrical connection between the semiconductor structure and external circuitry, for improving the ease of handling or transporting the semiconductor structure, and/or for protecting the semiconductor structure from environmental conditions.
Many chip packages include a lead frame that extends beyond the body thereof. The lead frame typically includes an array of electrical leads that extend from the internal circuitry of the integrated circuit to the exterior portion of the chip package where they are exposed to the surroundings. Testing of an integrated circuit package that includes a lead frame assembly is conventionally conducted by providing temporary electrical communication between the leads and testing circuitry. For example, such temporary electrical connection may be established by using a set of probes, pins, sockets, or the like, to contact the leads. The integrated circuit package may be clamped or otherwise secured in position during the testing operation in order for the leads to remain in electrical contact with the corresponding probes, pins, sockets, etc., of the testing circuitry.
Regardless of which electrical connection technique is employed, it is desirable to effect a connection that causes as little damage as possible to the leads. If the temporary connection to contact surfaces damages the leads, the entire integrated circuit package may be rendered useless.
The trend in the semiconductor manufacturing industry is towards smaller devices and an increase in the number of leads connected to an integrated circuit package. This has the result of reducing the distance between nearest leads on an integrated circuit package. In particular, the pitch of leads, which is defined as the distance between corresponding points on nearest adjacent leads, has progressively grown smaller.
As the pitch of integrated circuit packages decreases, it becomes ever more difficult to effectively and reliably establish temporary electrical contact with the leads without damaging the leads. The difficulties are compounded in light of the fact that testing is generally more reliable when electrical contact is made with leads as near to the body of the integrated circuit package as possible. If contact is instead made with the leads a relatively large distance from the body of the integrated circuit package, the resulting long conductive segments of the leads can generate considerable interference and noise which may disrupt the testing procedure.
Establishing electrical connection with leads near the body of integrated circuit package is further desirable as integrated circuits operate at ever higher speeds. If electrical connection is established at a relatively great distance from the body of a high-speed integrated circuit package, signals are not able to be received and transmitted at the proper synchronization or at the proper timing, which may cause the integrated circuit to malfunction or the testing procedure to become disrupted.
It can be easily understood that the factors that encourage electrical connection to be established relatively near the body of the integrated circuit package are often in conflict with efforts for making contact with conventional fine pitch lead frames. The probes, sockets and the like that have been used in the prior art are often not able to adequately balance these considerations and increasingly are unable to provide reliable electrical connection for conducting testing procedures.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that it would be an advancement in the art to provide an interconnect structure that can provide electrical connection with leads near the body of an integrated circuit package, particularly when the leads have a relatively fine pitch.